matcha benefits

Health benefits of matcha tea

Matcha tea has become very popular lately due to its health benefits. Matcha is actually a sort of  green tea, they are both made from the plant Camellia sinensis. However matcha differs from a regular green tea in the way of growing and the nutrients. Benefits of matcha tea are maybe even greater than green tea. One of the reasons lies in the fact that matcha growers cover the plant for a whole month before the harvest. As a result, matcha tea has more chlorophyll because it is not affected from the direct sunlight, which increases the quantity of amino acids.

A list of matcha health benefits is long and if you like to drink green tea, you should definitely try matcha tea. Just one cup of matcha tea has ten times more nutrients than a cup of green tea.

Have in mind that this data is based on the research of the scientists who evaluated people who drink green tea in general and compared them with people who don’t drink it. You should take this data with a grain of salt because specifically matcha tea was less researched than a regular green tea.

How does it taste?

Matcha tea tastes like seaweed, edamame or moss, it has that vegetal and bitter scent and earthy flavor. The temperature of your brewed tea can also have an impact on its flavor. Cooler water can give a bit sweeter note. If your cup of tea is very bitter it means it is not good.

Matcha tea is high in antioxidants

There are 137 more antioxidants in matcha tea than in green tea. It has 1384 units of antioxidants per gram which is 13x more than the antioxidants in pomegranates, 15 times more than blueberries, and 125 times more than spinach.

These are the main reasons matcha tea is so rich in antioxidants:

  • The plant Camellia sinensis is protected from the Sun in the last days prior to harvest which keeps chlorophyll.
  • Matcha tea is made of the whole tea leaves that are grind into powder. Tea leaves have the highest amount of antioxidants and this way you consume the whole leaf. 

One of the antioxidants that is particularly present in matcha tea is catechin. 

Benefits of matcha tea – stronger immunity and reduced cell damage

Thanks to the above-mentioned antioxidant catechin (epigallocatechin gallate), matcha tea helps the immune system and prevents viruses and bacteria to grow in your body. This antioxidant fights against various infections and bacteria, reducing the free radicals that are harmful to your body. Free radicals are everywhere around us and we cannot avoid them, but we can consume food rich in antioxidants that will reduce the harm caused by free radicals. These antioxidants give your body a full detox and make your immune system stronger.

Matcha tea keeps you calm, focused and concentrated 

It is believed that monks in Japan used to drink matcha tea to stay calm but focused at the same time after hours of sitting. Thanks to L-Theanine, an amino acid that positively impacts the brain functioning, matcha tea makes you relaxed. Other teas also have this amino acid but matcha tea has it in greater amount. In addition to creating alpha waves in your brain, which makes you relaxed but alert, L-Theanine also has an impact on your memory.

Unlike coffee that can make you concentrated and nervous, matcha tea makes you just concentrated. The reason is L-Theanine which relax your brain and don’t make you nervous. All types of green tea have this amino acid, but matcha tea has it more. It has about 20 milligrams of L-Theanine per one serving and other green teas have only four.

Some studies show that matcha tea consumers had improved memory and reaction time and better attention compared to the consumers of other products.

Matcha tea boosts energy and productiveness

According to one study where 23 consumers were tested, those who consumed matcha tea showed increased focus and attention, and overall improvement of cognitive performance.

Thanks to the L-theanine, matcha drink gives you energy and improves your productivity, but doesn’t make you nervous like coffee. This L-theanine leads to higher production of serotonin and dopamine in your brain, which improves your concentration. 

Matcha benefits for oral health

Green tea including matcha has antibacterial impact and can prevent cavities formation and bad breath. If you have problems with your oral health, drinking matcha tea can help you fight the bacteria in your mouth and have stronger teeth. 

Matcha benefits for skin – prevents acne, slows aging

Thanks to the tannins in matcha tea, you pores will be shrunk and your skin will be less oily. As you probably know, oil skin causes acne to show up. So matcha powder will decrease the production of oil and your skin won’t have new acne. You can put matcha masks on your skin to treat your face directly but you can also consume matcha tea that will have long term effect on your skin.

Matcha tea contains polyphenols that successfully fight the bacteria. With less bacteria on your face, the less acne you will get.  This powerful tea also reduces the sebum production by 70% thanks to the antioxidants EGCG. 

Another benefit of matcha tea for your skin is that the antioxidants in matcha tea have a positive impact on your wrinkles. These antioxidants deactivate the free radicals in your skin which slows the signs of aging. High amount of chlorophyll protects your skin from photo aging.

Also, these antioxidants reduce the skin redness and inflammation, and eliminate dead skin cells. Thanks to matcha tea the elasticity and the volume of your skin will be better because it empowers the production of elastin.

Matcha tea is high in vitamin K, which means it helps your blood circulate better, which has a positive impact on dark circles around eye, puffiness and inflammation.

Matcha benefits for hair

This antioxidant EGCG empowers dermal papilla cells and the growing of hair follicles. In other words, matcha tea has a positive impact on the hair growth. Likewise, matcha tea can prevent your hair loss and make it stronger. These antioxidants also give benefit to your scalp and better scalp means no dandruff. 

Given that matcha tea contains panthenol which helps your hair stay moisturized and prevents split ends.

Matcha benefits for weight loss

If you are trying to lose weight you are probably familiar with the fact that green tea helps with weight loss. No wonder that matcha tea does the same and four times better. Not only is it calorie free, but it also burns calories and boosts your metabolism. And there is a scientific explanation for that:

The matcha tea antioxidant called catechin activates the thermogenic burning activity of the fat in your body. In other words, it uses your fat as a source of energy. According to some research, green tea in general reduces thee BMI, body fat mass. This antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate increases the hormone that is responsible for suppressing hunger and stops the growth of fat cells.

This research shows that green tea including Matcha improves fat burning by 17%. 

If you tend to eat when you are under stress, the good news is that matcha makes you relaxed so the less stress, the less appetite.

According to this source, matcha consumers can lose up to 3 pounds in 12 weeks if they take about 3 teaspoons of tea powder per day. This experiment shows that overweight participants lost weight in 12 weeks thanks to the high dose of green tea extract.

Matcha tea and cholesterol levels

We already learned that epigallocatechin gallate uses fat as an energy source. High levels of this antioxidant increase fat oxidation and reduce bad cholesterol LDL. In other words, matcha tea can help you prevent or cope with obesity and diabetes. It also lowers down the glucose and insulin levels.

Matcha benefits for liver

Studies show that matcha can help you improve your liver health. In this study, researchers provided diabetic rats with matcha tea and the results showed that it reduced the cholesterol levels, triglyceride and glucose in the liver, and renal parameters. Another study that was ran on people, showed that green tea consumers who had problems with the liver experiences the reduction in liver enzyme levels. They consumed the tea for 12 weeks.

Benefits of matcha for heart

As we mentioned, green tea lowers down your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is very important for the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, green tea prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This was a result of the experiment that was performed on mice. Their cholesterol levels reduced as well as blood sugar. If you maintain a healthy diet, moderate exercise and drink matcha tea, you can prevent a heart attack or high blood pressure.

The biggest reason why matcha tea is beneficial to your cardiovascular system is because it is full of antioxidants which keep the arteries clean. According to this study, drinking three cups of green tea on a daily basis can prevent the stroke.

Strengthen your bones

Studies have shown that green tea decreases the risk of osteoporosis and increases the density of bone minerals. Green tea helps your mobility and bone strength. 

All health content on foodscene.net is for general information only, and you should not take it as medical advice. If you have any concerns about your health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

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